Common Ground…

The past two thousand years have given us glimpses of several religious restoration movements. Is there common ground to which all believers may approach the Lord with confidence?

RESTORATION ROOTS

Look at the following chart of several restoration movements of the past 500 years. Many believe and teach that the Reformation was the first break with Roman Catholic tradition. At the same time as Luther was “reforming,” the Anabaptists were “restoring.”

Within any restoration movement, as opposed to reformation, there is a desire to restore the original. These examples have a common belief in the authority of scripture. Yet within these restoration movements there are traditions and customs that may take on a life of their own in regard to authority.

For example, Martin Luther was convinced that the Roman Catholic Church was teaching and practicing error in the doctrine of indulgences. He risked everything to stand for and preach what he believed about the salvation by grace through faith. His reformation teachings began what is known as the Protestant Movement. Although Luther was moved into action against the abuses of the indulgences in the Roman Church, he held strongly to the “tradition” of infant baptism. According to historical records, there is no evidence that Luther was ever baptized as an adult believer.

At the same time, another Catholic priest, Menno Simons, found himself questioning the Catholic teachings on several matters, and through a study of the Word of God, found the Word and the Roman Church in conflict. Menno Simons was more than a reformer—he sought to restore the church of the New Testament. Some of Menno’s training and study was with a group of people known as the Anabaptists (“again” or “re“- baptized). This being the teachings of the New Testament rather than the “infant baptism” of the Roman Church. Many who followed the teachings of Menno Simons became known as the Mennonites.

Here in the USA in the early part of the nineteenth century, several preachers for denominations influenced by and descending from the teachings of reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin and restorers like Menno Simons became troubled with denominational creeds and church traditions. Movements from within Baptist, Presbyterian and Methodist denominations began to take shape as the Restoration Movement. Barton W. Stone (Stoneites) and Alexander Campbell (Campbellites) were among the early preachers of the group known today as the churches of Christ.

It is interesting that the groups often became identified by their most prominent teacher. This not by the teacher wish but most often by those outside of the movement that used the term as a slur. Luther did not wish to have those under his pastoral care known as Lutherans nor did the Anabaptists wish to be known as the re-baptizers. We should take caution from this and determine not to allow ourselves to be found in conflict with the Holy Scriptures that state:

1 Corinthians 1:10-13 (NIV)[5]

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ."

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?

WEAKNESSES POSSIBLE IN ANY RESTORATION MOVEMENTS

1. reliance upon one or two strong leaders or teachers;
2. tradition becoming as authoritative as the Word of God;
3. denominational hierarchy to protect exclusiveness of specific teaching;

Given the shortfalls of perhaps any institution organized by men, the only church that we can really be confident is the Lord’s church, is one that is on the solid rock of Jesus Christ!

COMMON GROUND AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS

Anyone can come to God through Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ because…

1. there is common ground at the foot of the cross;
2. there is no hierarchy of human leaders & teachers that we must follow;
3. one does not have to become a member of a denomination to approach;

John 3:16-17

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

The question is often asked, “What does your church teach?” This question lays bare the error of the modern religious world. This question assumes that the church can decide what it teaches and believes. When we look at the common ground at the foot of the cross, what made it possible for us to be reconciled to God? Grace through Faith. As we look up at the Cross, we see Jesus offered on our behalf because of the grace of God. Our Faith in Jesus’ Death, Burial & Resurrection is the Good News of our salvation!

Romans 3:21-26

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished- he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

OF FIRST IMPORTANCE

What is the Gospel? The apostle Paul reminds the early Christians in Corinth that the Gospel is of first importance. Why? Because it is only through the Gospel that we may be saved.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…

Ø       Christ died for our sins

Ø       he was buried

Ø       he was raised on the third day

WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THE GOSPEL?

The Gospel gives each one of us the opportunity for a new life in Jesus Christ. The old life is condemned because of sin. A new life in Christ is set free from the condemnation of sin.

Romans 6:1-4

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 3:26-28

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

This is where so many of our church doctrines seem to come up with different twists. The response to the Gospel must be the same on the common ground at the foot of the cross…surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ!

When those surrendered turn to Jesus for their guidance in doctrine and teaching, His Holy Spirit directs, teaches, transforms and equips.

Surrendered to the Lord should follow reasonably that we will do what He has asked of us. When we look into the scriptures, we see direction in church organization, church worship, individual relationships, holy living, in fact, “everything we need for life and godliness…” 2 Peter 1:3-4

WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH THE GOSPEL?

2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

We are Christ’s ambassadors to take His message to the world! What is the message?

There is COMMON GROUND AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS!

This lesson was presented by Dave Grant on Sunday, February 13, 2005 in Escanaba & Iron Mountain, Michigan.